Omaha, Neb.: A Great Midsize City for Retiring in Good Health
A burgeoning social scene helps make this affordable small town attractive to seniors.
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Newsletter sign up Newsletter

Population: 443,885
Cost of living: 91.3 (national median: 100)
Median home price: $145,500 (national median: $185,000)

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Healthy highlight: A burgeoning biking community via the city's bike-sharing program
B.J. Reed is in awe of how fast Omaha has grown in the past decade. A resident for more than 30 years, Reed, 67, has seen his city evolve from an insular industrial town to a multicultural diamond in the rough in the Great Plains. "It's becoming more of a 24/7 city," he says, with an increasingly diverse mix of restaurants, retail and leisure activities. Such activities, coupled with an expanding health care system, appeal to the many retirees who are making Omaha their home. "They like its pace and its people," says Reed, a senior vice chancellor at the University of Nebraska–Omaha (UNO).
12 Great Places to Retire for Your Good Health
- Naples, Fla.
- Lynchburg, Va.
- Billings, Mont.
- Greensboro, N.C.
- Omaha, Neb.
- Nashville, Tenn.
- Columbus, Ohio
- Seattle
- Austin, Tex.
- Philadelphia
- St. Petersburg, Fla.
- Augusta, Ga.
And what's not to like? This affordable, small-town setting offers art galleries in downtown's Old Market; concert halls, including the Holland Performing Arts Center; retail shops at Midtown Crossroads; a variety of ethnic restaurants; and sporting events at CenturyLink Center arena.
Pedestrian-friendly Aksarben–Elmwood Park, less than 15 minutes from downtown and bordering UNO, offers retirees the best of both worlds. You'll find quiet, residential neighborhoods featuring Colonial and Tudor Revival homes on the north and east sides. To the west is Aksarben Village, a new entertainment and shopping community with shops, restaurants, bars, movie theaters, bike-friendly paths and space for outdoor music festivals. "The Village has brought a lot of energy and walkability to the neighborhood," says Leah Meyer, copresident of the Aksarben–Elmwood Park Neighborhood Association.
Homes in Aksarben–Elmwood Park are affordable, with a median price of $148,000, but it's a highly competitive market; homes are being bought sight unseen and are often sold before they are posted online.
One big bonus to living in Omaha: access to health care, including the medical centers of the University of Nebraska, Creighton University and Think Whole Person Healthcare, a cutting-edge, physician-led practice.
Taxes are a challenge for retirees in the Cornhusker State. The total rate for state and local taxes is 7% (5.5% for state and 1.5% for local). Social Security benefits are taxed, although rules that recently took effect exempt some of that income from state taxes. Still, Nebraska taxes most other retirement income, including retirement-plan withdrawals and public and private pensions.
-
-
Gaining More Certainty in Your Retirement Income Plan
Relying on market performance to close the gap in your retirement income could let you down, but a CD ladder and fixed annuities could provide some certainty.
By Cole Czajkoski, Investment Adviser Representative • Published
-
Considering a 1031 Exchange? The Rules You Need to Know
Taxes are an inevitable part of investing in real estate. You can, however, defer or avoid paying capital gains taxes by following some simple rules of a 1031 exchange. Yes, you read that correctly!
By Daniel Goodwin • Published
-
As the Market Falls, New Retirees Need a Plan
retirement If you’re in the early stages of your retirement, you’re likely in a rough spot watching your portfolio shrink. We have some strategies to make the best of things.
By David Rodeck • Published
-
Retirees: Your Next Companion May Be a Robot
happy retirement Robots may help fill the gap left by a shortage of humans to help older adults live independently.
By Alina Tugend • Published
-
Using Your 401(k) to Delay Getting Social Security and Increase Payments
retirement Your 401(k) can be a bridge from retirement to higher monthly income.
By Elaine Silvestrini • Published
-
How Do I Stop Robocalls From Scamming Me?
retirement The scammers have automated their efforts to separate you from your money. We have ways to make it stop.
By Elaine Silvestrini • Published
-
A Kiplinger-ATHENE Poll: Retirees Are Worried About Money
Making Your Money Last Concerns about recession, inflation and health care costs weigh on retirees and near retirees.
By the editors of Kiplinger's Personal Finance • Published
-
Grandparent Scams Get Victims in Their Hearts
Scams If you get a call from someone who claims to be your grandchild in trouble and needing money right away, be wary. Don’t send any money or give any information until you verify the story.
By Elaine Silvestrini • Published
-
Tech Support Fraud Targets Seniors
retirement Get a message offering help with a computer problem you didn’t think you had? It’s probably a scammer looking for your money and personal information
By Elaine Silvestrini • Published
-
What to Do With Money in a Former Employer’s 401(k)
Basics Leave it behind, move it to your new job’s plan, or roll it over to an IRA. Each of the options has pros and cons.
By Emma Patch • Published